The consequence of complying with the OSA.

[Hermit]

I don't think people understand the future of the internet if you comply with the OSA. If people comply, every single site in the future will require some form of age verification to operate. This will obviously be impossible for the majority of forums, blog sites or anything controlled by a small community, so they will just shut down. The entire internet will end up being consolidated.

Those of you that think this is just a way to protect the kids from porn, I request that you dig a bit deeper into this. Take a look at how many community led sites are having to close down because this covers more than just porn.

There is also the chance of identity theft through data breaches, and this will increase on a massive scale with each site that requires id verification. Every single time you give your id, you increase that risk. We've all heard of the tons of companies that have been hacked or sold people's data, do you think that will suddenly stop and it will never happen to you?

Don't comply, because I promise you now, this will destroy the internet as we know it. Those of you asking for better id verification options from Valve, don't.....just don't comply.

[Alex]

Wrong-think detected.

Initiating automatic counter-measures.


*your social credit score was lowered by 50 points*

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by Hermit:

I don't think people understand the future of the internet if you comply with the OSA. If people comply, every single site in the future will require some form of age verification to operate. This will obviously be impossible for the majority of forums, blog sites or anything controlled by a small community, so they will just shut down. The entire internet will end up being consolidated.

Every single site?

What is the OSA (Online Safety Act) - Protecting children from pornographic content.

[Crazy Tiger]

So you want people to give up part of their hobby? Since quite some games are mainly on Steam on PC.

And yes, genuine question.

[Sciencemile]

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:

So you want people to give up part of their hobby? Since quite some games are mainly on Steam on PC.

And yes, genuine question.

My hobby is playing games not buying them.

We all have our massive backlogs and games are mostly on Steam because people are mostly buying on Steam; if enough people desire otherwise that can be influenced.

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Originally posted by Hermit:

I don't think people understand the future of the internet if you comply with the OSA. If people comply, every single site in the future will require some form of age verification to operate. This will obviously be impossible for the majority of forums, blog sites or anything controlled by a small community, so they will just shut down. The entire internet will end up being consolidated.

Every single site?

What is the OSA (Online Safety Act) - Protecting children from pornographic content.

Originally posted by Who the Act applies to:

The Act’s duties apply to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other. This includes a range of websites, apps and other services, including social media services, consumer file cloud storage and sharing sites, video-sharing platforms, online forums, dating services, and online instant messaging services.

The Act applies to services even if the companies providing them are outside the UK should they have links to the UK. This includes if the service has a significant number of UK users, if the UK is a target market, or it is capable of being accessed by UK users and there is a material risk of significant harm to such users.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer#who-the-act-applies-to

[InfectorRobert]

Can we all agree that the Online Safety Act is fascist policy? It masquerades as a policy made to protect children but It is, in fact a policy made for governments to control what we say or do online. It is designed to rape anonymity to death after all...

[Cosmic.Chaos]

Originally posted by InfectorRobert:

Can we all agree that the Online Safety Act is fascist policy? It masquerades as a policy made to protect children but It is, in fact a policy made for governments to control what we say or do online. [...]

You are right and I too am frustrated but also please don't wish death on people and delete your last line! 🫂

[Neoyoshi]

Main topic aside, forum board websites have been shutting down for years, due to Discord, social media and a drastic increase in smartphone app usage, not because of restrictions or types of enforcement on guidelines.

[InfectorRobert]

Originally posted by Cosmic.Chaos:

Originally posted by InfectorRobert:

Can we all agree that the Online Safety Act is fascist policy? It masquerades as a policy made to protect children but It is, in fact a policy made for governments to control what we say or do online. [...]

You are right and I too am frustrated but also please don't wish death on prople and delete your last line! 🫂

Alright.. But I'm about as enraged as you are with this so called online safety act that the thoughts struck my head!

[KyraPhobic]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Originally posted by Hermit:

I don't think people understand the future of the internet if you comply with the OSA. If people comply, every single site in the future will require some form of age verification to operate. This will obviously be impossible for the majority of forums, blog sites or anything controlled by a small community, so they will just shut down. The entire internet will end up being consolidated.

Every single site?

What is the OSA (Online Safety Act) - Protecting children from pornographic content.

For now but it will go into every day things. Want to voice in a game confirm your age, want to play a slightly gorey game.... ID. Want to to piss in a public bathroom hey we need ID. <--- that is not a joke some bathrooms actually want to use credit card so i guess they know your over the age to use the bathroom i guess, Want to use youtube listen to some music yeah we need your age. Online collecting data act will go to every day life. Want to buy a cucumber and some mayo for those spicy nights alone we require some ID. won't stop with just this.

[robilar5500]

So...giving Valve access to your personal banking info = good.

Using a credit card that offers an additional layer of information security between Valve and your personal banking info = bad.

Sounds legit.

[hydlided]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Originally posted by Hermit:

I don't think people understand the future of the internet if you comply with the OSA. If people comply, every single site in the future will require some form of age verification to operate. This will obviously be impossible for the majority of forums, blog sites or anything controlled by a small community, so they will just shut down. The entire internet will end up being consolidated.

Every single site?

What is the OSA (Online Safety Act) - Protecting children from pornographic content.

As I am an adult in the EU, I can tell you this. Most prornographic sites (since you brought up the topic, I will reply to it) have a button choice. Are you older then 18 years old. Yes / No.

When I was 12, I knew I had to press yes. There is no authentication taking place what so ever. Even better yet, I could just tell steam that I lived since 1950 when I wanted to, even while I am from 1974.

So the whole Online safety act as a whole is kinda like 'meh', if you would ask me. Unless you start throwing in online identification on a platform. But then you'll touch the privacy act. And steam can't really ask for your id card (because that would be, from an EU point of view) be illegal.

[Gat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrEUzKTt7j0

[Mr. Smiles]

The internet's been dead for decades, people are just now starting to realizing it.

[InfectorRobert]

Originally posted by Mr. Smiles:

The internet's been dead for decades, people are just now starting to realizing it.

Yeah it is. The proof, most internet activity is by bots rather than humans. Unfortunately there are still some people that are blind that the internet is already dead at they just don't know it yet. And when they find out, it's already too late.

[Chelle]

I'm 61. Been with computers since the dawn of the ZX 80.
Watched the internet speeds get faster and faster until.
Streaming becomes a reality.

LOOK further than the trees my friend. What you see today for being an ''inconvenience'' shall mean dollar signs or pound signs for the future.

Websites will find many ways to make internal life easier ( once a member that you pay for.

Whole new industries of Internet Service Providers shall spring up.

Those of you old enough that remember Radio Caroline?

Outside of the normal rules of internet usage.

When you have this provider, all of your age verification's will be in one mere sitting.

Then the internet shall be your oyster.

So long you have the money/means.

If however like most of us you are working class with limited means and money?

Well, I hear stamp collecting is addictive.
ThUd.

P.S I have never had nor ever will have a Credit Card.

Brit that now lives in Tasmania.